Chicken Monte Cristo Sandwich

Swap out the usual ham of a Monte Cristo and make this delicious chicken melt with bacon and plenty of cheese.

For anyone who doesn’t know what a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich is, it’s basically a turkey and ham sandwich with Swiss cheese French toast sandwich! Well, I didn’t have turkey or ham, or Swiss cheese for that matter. So we improvise because Mama had a hankering for a Monte Cristo! I had chicken and bacon, which, after all, are related to turkey and ham! Cheddar is a good substitute, too!

I have been trying to come up with different ways to use my homemade Oscar Relish, which, incidentally is my new favorite condiment!! This, my friends, is a good way to enjoy Oscar Relish!

We do our Monte Cristo Sandwiches a little different than a traditional Monte Cristo. In a traditional sandwich, you assemble the turkey, ham and cheese on the sandwich and then dip the whole sandwich in egg and milk mixture. In our house, we are big fans of crispy! Crispy hash browns, bacon, fries…. you get the point. So we actually brown one side of both pieces of bread, flip that over and build the sandwich in the pan, until the second side is brown and cheese is melted! Yum! That’s all I can say, is yum!

Heat a large frying pan or griddle with a spray of non stick spray and a tablespoon of butter, margarine or oil over medium heat.

Whisk eggs and milk together. Dip bread in in egg/milk mixture to coat both sides.

Place coated bread in frying pan. Don't crowd. Brown the first side of the bread. Flip. Build the sandwiches in the pan. Add cheese first, then chicken and bacon. Tom with the browned side of another piece of bread.

Once the bottom of the sandwich is browned, flip over the whole sandwich to brown the last side. Cover, so that cheese can melt.

Serve with Oscar relish, 1000 Island Dressing for savory options. Or for a sweeter touch, maple syrup or jam are great too!